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Mobile marketing is becoming a game changer in the marketing world. For small businesses, especially, mobile marketing gives them an opportunity to reach a much wider audience at only a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing techniques. If you are a small business owner, but still new to the world of mobile marketing, you will want to know how this landscape has the potential to completely change how you reach out to customers no matter where they are. Read on to find how mobile marketing can become a powerful weapon in your advertising arsenal.

Keeping it Local

It goes without saying that mobile users are, well, mobile. Unlike previous forms of advertising, mobile advertising can target customers wherever they happen to be. This fact represents an important advantage for small businesses. If you have ever searched Google for cafes in your city, you’ve probably noticed that a map appears at the top of your search results with locations of the cafes closest to you. Likewise, if you run, for example, a shoe store and a potential customer two blocks away uses his or her mobile device to find shoe stores nearby, you want to make sure your store is at the top of the listings. This process is called local search optimization, which increases your ranking on top search engines when mobile and internet users search for local businesses. To increase your local search optimization, and thus take better advantage of your mobile marketing efforts, make sure your contact details are always up-to-date in local directories, and be sure to encourage your customers to leave positive reviews of your business on search engines such as Google.

SMS

When many people think of mobile marketing, they think of apps and websites specifically designed for mobile devices. While apps and websites represent an important cornerstone of any mobile marketing campaign, it is important to remember that these will only be viewable by mobile users with devices capable of displaying them. An SMS, on the other hand, can be read on any mobile device, thus vastly increasing the number of potential customers you can reach when you send out an SMS. When sending an SMS, keep in mind that mobile users behave differently from other customers. You will want to make these mobile users feel like your SMS is giving them access to offers and discounts only available to mobile users.

What Next?

Many small businesses trip up with their mobile marketing campaigns because they fail to recognize the nuances that make mobile marketing so different from traditional forms of marketing. A mobile marketing agency, such as Juice Mobile based in Toronto, can be an invaluable resource for making sure your mobile marketing efforts are a success. While the costs of such agencies vary widely, you will have the peace of mind of knowing that all of your mobile marketing needs are being taken care of.

Mobile marketing allows small businesses to target customers wherever they are and on any mobile device. For small businesses that take advantage of this still developing marketing strategy, they will soon reap the benefits of a larger and more loyal customer base.

Adam Pritchard is a small business marketing consultant. He enjoys sharing his ideas online through blogging.